“Fight Another Day”: Justice Maria Filomena Singh Shares Her Cancer Battle

Supreme Court Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh opened up on Tuesday about her battle with cancer, describing the illness as both heavy and deeply challenging while also explaining why it gave her a stronger sense of urgency in life and work.

Singh said she was diagnosed in 2025 and has since gone through chemotherapy, surgery, and continuing oral chemo. Even after being cleared, she returned to work, saying she feels she is here to do something meaningful while she still has the time.

Speaking at the Supreme Court's first Distinguished Women's Forum, the magistrate admitted there are days when the burden feels sobrang bigat. She said there are moments when getting up feels difficult and she wonders why she has to carry that pain.

But Singh also said she regains perspective by thinking about people facing even harder circumstances. That mindset, she explained, pushes her to stand back up, keep going, and fight another day instead of being consumed by self-pity.

She added that her diagnosis at least gave her time to prepare herself, unlike others who are taken suddenly. For Singh, the experience became a reminder to value each day and use whatever time is given to do the work one believes they were meant to do.

Source: GMA News Online — https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/981147/supreme-court-justice-maria-singh-cancer-battle/story/